


Things We Lost

by movieaddictdoctor



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: But the Lena we know and love is still in there, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Lena, Established Danvarias, F/F, Gang Violence, Gun Violence, Jack Spheer is an AI, Kara is Supergirl, Lena as the Punisher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-10 01:04:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19897324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/movieaddictdoctor/pseuds/movieaddictdoctor
Summary: After the death of her wife, Lena Luthor returns to National City with a special plan on her mind. Killers are on the loose, and if the justice system can’t stop them, she will. But sooner or later, her plans put her on the crossroads with the city’s caped crusader. Can she leave her past behind?





	1. The Return

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the 2004 Punisher movie. Not exactly similar, but after watching I couldn’t stop thinking about a Punisher!Lena. There will be angst and violence, so if there’s something you’d like tagged please let me know.

Limousine came to a smooth stop next to the sidewalk, and the driver rolled down the partition. “We are here, Miss Luthor.” the driver said, looking at the mirror.

Lena turned her head to the side and looked out the window. LCorp, in all its glory, was standing right in front of her. With countless reporters waiting right next to it. When they noticed the limo, every one of them ran to it, with cameras right behind them.

‘Two years...’ she thought to herself. It had been two years since she had even stepped foot into the building. And now, her first day back, a crowd of people was waiting for her. She didn’t blame them, not really. Her disappearance was the talk of the town back then, and apparently her reappearence would also be.

Black lining of the limo’s window proved a slight protection from the chaos behind it. But, she knew she had to go out, sooner or later. Her security was right outside her car door, waiting for her instructions.

“Now or never.” she murmured to herself and opened the car door. 

The moment she stepped outside, camera flashes started going out. Her security detail was doing a good job at separating her from the reporters, but they were insistent.

Question after question was fired, as she quickly walked towards the building. _“How does it feel to be back after two years?”, “What are your plans for the company?”, “Do you think you are ready to be back?”_

She didn’t pay them any attention.

She got through the gates, with her security pushing back reporters in front of it. She looked around the large entryway. LCorp, she was back.

Eve Teschmacher, Lena’s long time dutiful assistant came running at her. She seemed almost ready to jump and hug her. 

“Oh my god!” Eve said excitedly. “I can’t believe you are really back!”

Lena smiled at her assistant’s unbridled excitement, and apparently, _joy._ “I emailed you two weeks ago.” she said looking at her.

“I know, but I wasn’t sure it was actually going to happen.” Eve said, finally managing to contain herself a little. “There were rumors, but...”

“Well, I am here now.” Lena said, and started to walk towards the elevators. “And I want to go to my office.” she added, calling the elevator.

“Of course.” Eve said as they stepped into the elevator. “Your office is just as you left it.” she said. “I didn’t let anyone in, except the cleaning crew.” she added.

“Thank you.” Lena said. “Tell me, how is Lord doing as the acting CEO?” she asked turning her head to Eve.

“He is doing really well actually.” Eve replied, she knew Lena appreciated her honest opinion. “I was worried about how he would handle the merger, but he has done wonders in the R&D department.”

“That’s good.” Lena said. Right before her disappearing act, Lord Industries had taken a substantial financial loss. She knew it had taken a lot of Maxwell’s pride to come to her for help, but she also knew he was a good person under the all ‘asshole’ exterior.

Doors of the elevator opened as they reached her floor. She slowly walked forward. Door to her office was right in front of her, closed. Eve didn’t say anything, she just waited for any sign that her boss might need something. Lena reached for the handle, and opened the door.

Eve was right, her office was just as she had left it. She slowly walked to her desk, and stood next to her chair. There, on the table, a picture frame caught her attention, and she felt her heart stop for a second. It was one of the last pictures she had of them, of her family, before they were gone forever.

Eve suddenly noticed what had got Lena’s attention. “I... I am sorry. I should have cleared those away.” she said stepping towards the desk.

“No.” Lena managed to say after swallowing the knot in her throat. “I would like to be alone now.” she said, still looking at the picture.

“Are you sure? I...” Eve started to say, but Lena turned to look at her in the eyes. “Now.” she said. The hurt she saw in those eyes were unmatched by the hurt in her voice. Eve nodded and left her in there, closing the door after her.

After Eve left, Lena reached for the frame, holding it close. She was surprised by how happy she looked in the picture. For the last two years, ever since that day, her smiles never reached her eyes like that.

What made the pooling tears in her eyes drop, was looking at the woman next to her. Her wife, in a white floral dress with an arm across Lena’s waist. And she looked so happy too.

The first couple of months her cries would echo around the empty house. But now she let the tears drop silently, on to the frame. She wouldn’t waste that energy, not again. Because now, she knew what she was going to do. She knew what was coming.

She wiped at her eyes with a hand and sat down at her chair. She looked at the picture once again, before placing it back on the desk and turned to her computer. She wasn’t planning to be back as CEO, that job was Lord’s for now.

After opening the computer, and adding her new security protocols, she inserted the thumb drive in her pocket. She entered the passcode, and her plans started popping up one by one. And that was the reason why she was back. 

Her company had the resources to build everything she needed.

Lena scrolled around the pages. There was a lot of work to be done. But she would do it, no matter how long it took.

~

“Stop scratching me!” Kara exclaimed, trying to get a grasp on the cat. “I am saving you!” she said as she lowered to the ground. When she stopped, a little girl with a ponytail ran up to her.

“Ohh, Mister Snuggles!” she said opening her arms, and the cat jumped from Kara’s arms to hers. After hugging the cat for a moment, the girl looked up at Kara’s face. “That you, Supergirl.” she said in awe.

“No problem.” Kara replied with a large smile. She winked at the little girl and shot up into the sky, leaving the small crowd staring after her.

“Okay, today’s second cat-on-a-tree is handled.” Kara said to the earpiece, flying towards the DEO headquarters. “What else do we have?” she asked.

“Actually.” Brainy replied from the other side. “You need to go back to work, Supergirl”

“Is something happening at CatCo?” Kara asked, turning her trajectory to CatCo.

“Your phone keeps ringing.” Brainy replied, almost feeling sorry for Kara. “And that Snapper guy started sending angry texts.”

“He is always angry.” Kara said, and slowly landed on the roof of CatCo. Her clothes and phone, which was the one she used for day to day life, was waiting for her under a tarp. She got dressed in an instant. “Bye Brainy. Supergirl out.” she said into the earpiece, then put it in her pocket.

She looked at her phone as she walked down the steps to the News floor. Three calls from Snapper with a text along the lines of ‘Be here in five minutes or you are fired.’. At first, a text like that would be enough to give her a panic attack, but she was used to it by now.

When she reached the News floor, it was like everyone was buzzing around, more than usual. “Kara, Snapper is going to kill you.” Nia whispered to her as she passed her by. She walked to Snapper’s office, and knocked.

“Come in.” Snapper shouted, without leaving his eyes from his tablet. “Sir...” Kara was saying but he finally looked up. “Nice of you to grace us with your presence.” he said staring at her.

“I am sorry, the traffic...” Kara started to say, before the television caught her eye.

“If you use the traffic excuse one more time...” Snapper said, then followed her eyesight to the television behind him.

It was Lena Luthor, the largest shareholder of the LCorp, getting into her own company, with an army of reporters surrounding her. “That’s Lena Luthor.” she said turning her head to Snapper.

“Thank you for stating the obvious.” Snapper said, with a condecending smile.

“I didn’t know she was back.” Kara said slowly.

“Well, maybe you would, if you were actually here.” Snapper replied, then scoffed. They did this dance all the time, and even if he outwardly hated everyone, he knew she was a good reporter. “What do you know about her?” he asked, forgoing his annoyement for now.

“She left National City almost two years ago.” Kara said thoughtfully. “I never met her before, but I saw the news.” she said. “She lost her wife.”

“Her wife was murdered.” Snapper said. It was obvious he was feeling sorry. “National City Bank, hostage situation gone wrong.” he said. “You see, we didn’t have Supergirl back then. It devastated her.”

“I didn’t know you cared that much.” Kara commented, quickly regretting her words.

“Don’t let it go to your head.” Snapper replied. “Anyways, she just showed up after years of silence. Find out why.”

“Wait, are you giving me the case?” Kara asked, she usually needed to beg him for one.

“Yes. As much as it pains me to say this...” Snapper said, struggle apparent on his face. “You are the only person on this floor that is a walking ray of sunshine.” he said. “I don’t want this article to be too dark. Focus on what she plans to do, stuff like that. She has been through enough already.”

“I won’t let you down.”

~

“Come in.” Lena shouted after the knock on her door. Maxwell Lord walked in with a large smile and open arms.

“Lena!” he said and enthusiastically held his hand out for a shake. Lena took it, smiling back at him. “I am sorry to be late, you know the shareholders...” he said as Lena gestured the seat in front of her table.

“Oh I know.” Lena said as they settled down. “I am glad I don’t have to do that anymore.” she said.

“Does that mean you won’t be back as CEO?” Maxwell asked, looking at her with a curious expression.

“Yes.” Lena answered nodding. “I want to focus more on some minor departments, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, whatever you like.” Maxwell said nodding. 

Even he was surprised at how far he had come. After Morgan Edge pushed him out of market, his only option was to go to Lena for help. He was half expecting her to tell him to go away, but instead she had offered to join their resources. And for that, he was grateful.

He started to look around the room. “Wow, this room is exactly the same.” he commented, then a picture frame caught his eye. “I... I am so sorry Lena.” he said slowly. Lena turned to him, she could see he was being genuine.

“I appreciate it.” Lena said looking at him. “But I would like to focus on the future, for now.” 

“Sure.” Maxwell said looking back at her. “Anything I can do to help?” he asked.

“Actually, there is.” Lena smiled. “I need to look into some of Lord Industry’s old research.”

“Is there a particular project that you are looking for?” Maxwell asked curiously.

“I don’t know yet.” Lena answered. She had a couple of projects in mind, but she needed to see if they were what she was looking for first. And she didn’t want to give him any more details.

“Okay, well most of the latest research should be available through your company passcode.” Maxwell replied, thinking about it. “But if you’re looking for something older, the rest is at a factory depot downtown.”

“Do they include your _‘private’_ hobbies?” Lena asked, emphasizing on the word private.

“You know, Lena, I owe you a lot.” Maxwell said, truly meaning the words. “Whatever it is, I can help you.”

“I know.” Lena said with a soft smile. “And I will reach out to you, when I need it.” 

“Well, then for now...” Maxwell said, reaching inside his jacket. “You are going to need this key.” he said and gave Lena a keycard. “Let me write you the address.” he said and grabbed the small paper on the table. He scribbled an adress, with a security code using a pen attached to his shirt. Then he gave the paper to Lena.

She looked over the address, then looked back up at him. “Thank you.” she said.

“My pleasure.” Maxwell replied with a smile.

~

Kara pressed on the doorbell, and smiled when she heard the sound coming closer. Ruby opened the door with a large smile. “Kara!” she said and jumped to hug her, with Kara hugging back. “Come on, dinner is almost ready.” Ruby said, and dragged Kara by the hand.

Closing the door behind her, Kara walked through the hall, following Ruby. The smell in the air was almost intoxicating for her overworked brain. She had been trying to find information about Lena Luthor for two days, to no avail. 

“Oh, you brought wine.” Sam said with a smile, and crossed the kitchen isle. She pulled Kara in for a hug. “I’ll put this in the fridge.” Sam said, taking the bottle from Kara’s hands.

“Where is Alex?” Kara asked looking around.

“She spilled sauce on her shirt.” Sam replied after closing the fridge door. 

“I didn’t spill, someone swung it at me.” Alex said walking into the kitchen. “Welcome Kara.” she said, pulling her sister in a hug.

“This is a really nice place, you guys.” Kara said, leaning back on the kitchen isle.

“You were with us when we bought it.” Alex said, looking at her.

“Yeah, but you really out did it with the decorating.” Kara replied. It was Alex and Sam’s new house, which they had bought a year after marriage. There was a picture on the side wall from that day, all five of them, with Eliza and Jonn, smiling to the camera.

“I helped.” Ruby jumped in. “Otherwise this room would have been red.”

Kara laughed at that. “This is way better.” she mock whispered, leaning to Ruby. “Anything I can do to help?” she asked turning her head to Sam, who was pulling out plates from the cupboard.

“Can you take the chicken out of the oven?” Sam asked, putting the plates in front of Alex. “And you set the table.” she said then kissed her on the cheek. Kara smiled at them, a year into marriage, and Alex could still blush.

They settled around the table, to a delicious meal prepared by Sam. Quality of the meal was apparent by how Kara was currently a step away from inhaling it. 

“So how is work?” Sam asked, stifling her amusement. She was used to Kara’s love of food, but it was still entertaining to watch.

“Oh, sorry guys." Kara said, swallowing her bite. “I am just swamped. This case I’m working on for Snapper, it has no leads.” she said, the took a sip of her drink.

“What is it about?” Ruby asked curiously. She loved talking about Kara’s job as a reporter, as much as she loved talking about Alex’s job at the DEO.

“Well, the multi billionaire that everyone is talking about.” Kara said going for another bite. “Lena Luthor. But the company is still not talking to the press.” she looked up to see Alex and Sam staring at each other. “What is it?” she asked.

“Lena Luthor...” Alex said. “Wasn’t she your friend from collage?” she asked Sam.

“She was.” Sam said with a saddened expression.

“Oh, Can you get me in touch with her?” Kara asked excitedly. “Her office won’t even open my calls. Or any reporter’s.”

“I... I don’t know Kara.” Sam said, Alex grabbed her hand on the table, after feeling her discomfort. “I haven’t seen her in two years.”

“No one has.” Kara said, she was sensing the change in Sam’s mood too. “But she has to give a statement soon, or this press storm is not going to stop.” she added, looking at Sam with an emphatic expression.

“Let’s change the subject!” Alex said after everyone stayed quiet for a moment.

“Very subtle, Alex.” Ruby said nodding.

It didn’t take long for the conversation to gain momentum again. They talked about the new neighborhood, about Ruby’s new school. After an incident involving a comment about Ruby’s step mother, which ended up in a bloody nose that made Alex really proud inside, they had decided a change schools. Of course, Ruby was grounded for the foreseeable future, but now she made them proud with her interest in science.

Sam’s current job was working as the financial executive for Morgan Edge. He wasn’t loved around the table, but she still refrained from commenting on her boss. Even though she laughed at Kara’s frustration’s with him.

After desert, and a couple rounds of UNO, Kara was called in for Supergirl duties. Ruby went back to her room, leaving Sam and Alex to finish the dishes in the kitchen. As Sam scrubbed a plate, Alex walked around the kitchen isle, and hugged her from behind.

“Dinner was good, right?” Sam said, finished with the last plate, she washed her hands.

“Yes, it was.” Alex said leaning her head on Sam’s shoulder.

“Do you think your sister liked it too?” Sam asked again, slowly wiping her hands on a towel.

Alex stepped back and turned Sam around. “We both saw how she finished her plate in five seconds.” she said smiling. “So yes, I think she liked it.”

“You have that face.” Sam said after a moment, staring at Alex.

“What face?” Alex said, in a poor attempt at denying it.

“The face when you are about to say something I won’t like.” Sam explained, even though she was sure Alex knew what she was talking about.

“Okay, you got me.” Alex said looking back. “It’s about Lena.”

“What about her?” Sam stepped back and leaned against the kitchen counter.

“She was your friend.” Alex replied, prompting Sam to talk. She knew there was history there, and she didn’t want Sam to push her feelings too deep.

“She wasn’t just a friend from collage.” Sam said, crossing her arms to a defensive pose. “She was my best friend.” she finished.

“And something terrible happened to her.” Alex said stepping closer to Sam. “I can’t imagine what I would do, if anything happened to either of you.” she said, almost tearing up at the thought.

Sam uncrossed her arms, and reached for Alex’s hands. Alex looked up at her. “My point is...” Alex said, and continued. “She needs a friend, no matter how much time has passed.”

“You’re right.” Sam sighed. “I’ll try.”

~

It was almost midnight, but sleep didn’t come for Lena. No matter how much she tossed and turned around on the hotel bed, there was no comfort. She finally gave up, and got up from the bed. Her plan was to go to Lord’s depot in the morning, but she decided to do it now.

She dressed in completely dark colors, with dark blue pants and a black leather jacket. She retreived her motorcycle helmet by the door and got out of the suit. Using a motorcycle was one of the few things she had learned in the last two years, and it was a means to an end. 

Roads were empty during that time of day, and she reached downtown fairly quickly. She didn’t even have to stop at a red light. And the large factory depot was right in her eyesight. She took off her helmet and held it under her right arm.

Maxwell’s security code was enough to pass through a side door, and there didn’t seem to be any security present. But Lena was sure without the code, there would be a lot of trouble. She closed the door behind her, and the lights inside flickered on, one by one. Looked like they were all connected to the same system.

Countless racks, reaching all the way up to the ceiling, loomed in front of her. She slowly walked towards the other end, where a stair went up to a room looking over the depot. Almost every rack was filled with large cases, everyone with a special number.

She reached the stairs and went up. The door was locked, and there was no keypad. She reached for the keycard in her pocket. As the keycard came closer to the door, it swung open. She slowly stepped inside, and the door closed behind her. It was pitch black for a moment, then a blue light came on.

At first look, the room seemed like an ordinary factory office. But she turned her head to the right, to see a panel covering the right wall open up. It revealed a large screen, with multiple glass cases surrounding it. They were multiple different projects, each glowing at a different color.

She walked to the computer and reached for its control panel. She wanted to be sure everything was secure, before she started. And it was, but she added her own inscription for good measure.

“Well then, let’s see what you have.” Lena said to herself, and went to work.


	2. Vaya con Dios

The intercom on the desk buzzed, waking Lena up from a dreamless nap. She had fallen asleep on her desk, _again_ , while she was working on a blueprint. She blinked a couple of times to get over the itching sensation behind her eyelids, then answered the intercom.

“Miss Luthor.” Eve said from the other side.

“Yes, Eve.” Lena said wiping her face with a hand. She was feeling sore all over, her muscles complaining with each move. 

“There is a woman here, I don’t know how she passed security...” Eve said, taking a subtle look at the woman in front of her. “But she is asking to talk to you.” she finished saying.

“Tell her I won’t talk to the press.” Lena said, about ready to finish the call.

“She is not from the press.” Eve said, covering her mouth with a hand. “She says she is your friend.”

“What’s her name?” Lena asked curiously. She was sure this was another scam to get a quote from her.

“Samantha Arias.” Eve said.

Lena couldn’t register the name for a second. Sam? She was here? Lena didn’t feel ready to talk to her, not when she had ghosted her for two years.

“Can you say I am out of the office or something?” Lena offered weakly.

“Ma’am, she keeps staring at me. And I am pretty sure she is eavesdropping.” Eve said. “So no.”

“Alright.” Lena said after taking a deep breath. She looked around her desk, it was full of blueprints and electronic parts. She needed to clean up before letting anyone inside. “Send her in after five minutes.” she said and finished the call.

She quickly scrapped everything on the desk, to her side drawer. Then she looked at her reflection on the computer screen. At least she didn’t have machine oil on her face, like yesterday. She reached for a wet napkin on the desk and wiped her face, reveling in its coolness.

She looked at her watch, _two minutes_. Not knowing what to do with her nerves, she got up from her chair and walked over to the window behind the balcony. God, she needed a drink, but her last supply was finished last night. _‘I should remind Eve.’_ she thought to herself, then the door opened.

Lena listened to the footsteps, before turning around. _‘Now or never.’_ she thought to herself, then smiled. Lately, most of her life revolved around that mentality. She turned back.

Sam, with a grey business suit and a dark brown leather mailbag, was watching her with kind eyes. 

“Welcome back.” Sam said. She didn’t know whether to go in for a hug, or stay right there. But her instincts told her to stay put, Lena didn’t look at all like the woman she knew. Lena was wearing a black suit, with her hair freely touching her shoulders. And she looked... defensive.

“Thank you.” Lena said, she didn’t know what else to say. If there was a manual on how to talk to your best friend after you disappeared on her, she didn’t know. “Can I get you anything?” she asked after a moment, it felt like what normal people would ask.

“No, thank you.” Sam said, then smiled at herself. “God, how awkward can we be right now?” 

Lena smiled at that too. “I don’t know.” she said. “But... I don’t want to make you feel awkward.” she said and looked at Sam. “The way I left... It wasn’t about you.”

“I know.” Sam said. “But, I really wanted to be there for you.” she started to step closer to Lena, and surprisingly, Lena didn’t look like she was about to run away. “I am so sorry, Lena.” Sam said, she knew her words didn’t mean anything, but she needed to say it. She was closer to Lena now, and to her shock, Lena didn’t step back when Sam went in for a hug.

They stayed like that for a while, until there were no tears left to cry. “Oh god, I am dripping my mascara all over you.” Sam said, stepping back. She wiped at her tears with a sleeve.

“I would choose that over machine oil.” Lena said, and walked to her couch. There was a tissue box on the side table, and she reached for one, giving the box to Sam, who had followed her to the couch.

They settled in, then the glimmer from Sam’s hand caught Lena’s eyes. “Wait.” Lena said leaning in. “Is that a wedding ring?” she asked looking at Sam.

“Yeah it is.” Sam said and showed the ring to Lena. It was simple, but tasteful, and picking it was a family affair at the time. “The wedding was last year.” she said. “I wish you could have been there.”

“I guess I missed a lot.” Lena said looking down. Suddenly she had an idea. It had been long, so long since they did it, and maybe it was weird after all this time, but she decided to ask. “What would you say if I offered to call take out, then we catch up for some lost time?”

“I would say that, I want a Big Belly Burger.” Sam answered smiling. 

That was the deal with real friends. You might not have seen them in a long time, but when you did, you returned to the person you were, like that time had never passed. At least, that was how it worked for Sam.

Lena walked towards the door and opened it, startling the obviously eavesdropping Eve behind the door. “Eve, can you order two cheeseburgers for us?” Lena asked. “From Big Belly Burger.” She turned her head back to Sam. “Double fries?” she asked, which was her usual order. 

“Always.” Sam replied smiling. 

“You got all that?” Lena asked turning back to Eve, who just nodded. Did Miss Luthor actually have a friend? She heard Lena’s door close, and hurriedly ran for the phone to place the order.

“So...” Lena said, sitting down on the other side of the couch. “Who is the lucky guy?” she asked.

“Well, _her_ name is Alex.” Sam said, surprising Lena. “She works for the FBI.” she said, using the cover they had agreed on. She knew where Alex actually worked, but DEO was being kept secret for a reason.

“Wow.” Lena said. “I am sorry I wasn’t at the wedding.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Sam said with a soft smile. “But just so we are clear, I did send you an invitation.” she said looking at Lena.

“Ah, I didn’t get it.” Lena said, trying to remember.

“Come on.” Sam said waving it off. “I sent it to your penthouse.”

“Actually...” Lena said averting her eyes. “I haven’t been there since...” She looked up at Sam. “Since Emily died.” she said slowly.

“Oh...” Sam said, facepalming herself. “I am an ass.”

“Please don’t say that.” Lena said, she reached for Sam’s hand and lowered it. “You didn’t know.”

“Still, I am sorry.” Sam said, looking at Lena with an apologetic smile.

“If we keep apologizing about the past, we won’t be able to talk about anything else.” Lena said, looking at her.

“Yes, you’re right.” Sam said nodding. “Where are you staying, then?” she asked after a moment.

“Four Seasons.” Lena said shrugging.

“Well, you can always come and stay with us.” Sam said smiling. “You may be the owner of LCorp, but I have a spare bedroom.”

“I appreciate it.” Lena said chuckling to herself. There was a knock on the door, then Eve walked in with two large bags of takeout.

They kept talking while eating lunch. Sam was trying to avoid any subjects that might be to touchy for Lena, and Lena appreciated it. Yet still, to this Lena, catching up with her best friend, felt like a ghost from the past. It was a reminder that at one point in time, people cared about her. She wasn’t sure how to get back to that.

“I hear you won’t give a talk to the press.” Sam said munching on her last fries.

“I just...” Lena said, deciding to be honest about that part. “I don’t want to talk a careless hack that’s gonna make me into a sob story.” she said quickly.

“Maybe I can help you with that.” Sam said, putting her napkin on the table. Lena looked at her with a confused expression. Sam was in economics, how could she help about that?

“Alex has a sister.” Sam said. “She is a reporter for CatCo.” she explained.

“I don’t know how that solves anything.” Lena said, leaning back on the couch. “They are all the same.” She had enough with reporters. From her coming out to marriage, they had invaded her privacy, regardless of the outcome.

“Not her.” Sam said, maybe she was a little protective about Kara, but she also understood where Lena was coming from. “And you know Cat Grant. She runs one of the only news outlet with a little bit of credibility left.”

“I don’t know Sam.” Lena said, turning her head to Sam.

“I don’t want to push you into doing anything you don’t want.” Sam said with an emphatic expression. “But they are only going to keep speculating, if you don’t give a statement yourself.”

“You are right, but....” Lena said, thinking about it. She needed to get the media out of her hair, before going forward with her plan. And if she reached out herself, she would have a chance to control the narrative. “Okay, who is that sister-in-law of yours?” she asked.

“Kara Danvers.” Sam replied. “I am sure you would like her.”

“I’ll tell Eve to arrange a meeting.” Lena replied after a defeated sigh.

“And Lena, please don’t go away again, without saying goodby.” Sam said reaching out for Lena’s hand. “I missed my best friend.” Lena reached back, and squeezed her hand.

“Don’t worry.” Lena said. “I am not going anywhere.” she added.

“Good.” Sam said with a smile. “Ruby says ‘Hi’, by the way.” she remembered.

Lena smiled. It had been too long since she had seen the little pumpkin. _‘Well, she is not little anymore.’_ she thought to herself. “Well, you say ‘Hi’ back.” she said.

“Maybe you can come around for dinner sometime?” Sam offered. She didn’t want to be too pushy by putting a certain time. She wanted Lena to feel free and comfortable.

“Maybe.” Lena answered nodding.

~

After Sam left, with promises to keep in touch this time, Lena went back to her desk. She settled in front of the computer, about to start working again, then she remembered to talk to Eve. 

“Eve.” she said pressing on the intercom button. 

“Yes, Miss Luthor.” Eve said eagerly, from the other side.

“Make an appointment with Kara Danvers at CatCo.” Lena said.

“Does that mean you are going to give a statement to the press?” Eve asked, she also had enough with reporters calling her repeatedly.

“Yes.” Lena said. “Make it for next Friday, before I change my mind.” Lena finished the call.

She opened her desk drawer, and placed all the previously hidden items back on the desk. One of the them, was a small bee. Actually, an electronic bee, from the remains of Jack Spheer. 

She had heard the news of his death months after it had happened. And for that, she felt guilty. But if what she was working on became operational, she could give him a chance, to come back as something more.

Her plan was to incorporate the A.I. she was working on, with Jack’s code, and hope that something came of it. But she was too smart to start an untested A.I. program in a room with internet connection. She pocketed the bee, and the drive with her code, then headed to one of the company’s sealed room. They had multiple ones, for R&D to test new systems.

The room was simple, painted in all black and the only equipment was a large console. “Let’s see if this works.” Lena murmured to herself and walked towards the console. 

Setting up the program, and mashing its multiple elements together, took more time than she had expected. But then, the holographic screen in front of her went black, only for a white dot to blink.

“Jack.” Lena said. “Jack. Can you hear me?”

“Where... Where am I?” a voice came over the speakers.

“Jack is that you?” Lena asked with excitement.

“Lena?” the voice asked. “I can’t see anything.”

“I can’t believe this actually worked.” Lena said with a smile, leaning her hands on the console.

“What worked?” Jack asked. “Why can’t I feel anything?” His voice had a tinge of artificial in it.

“Jack...” Lena said. “What is the last thing you remember?” she asked, wanting to break the news easy.

“I... Supergirl...” Jack said confused. “There was that agent.” he said, remembering. “I died...”

“Actually, your body died.” Lena replied. “I was able to retrieve your mind from the nanobots that you had.” she said as an explanation.

“I guess I should thank you.” Jack said after a moment.

“No, don’t thank me.” Lena said shaking her head. “I should have been here to help you. Maybe I could have prevented this.”

“I don’t think so, Lena. It was my fault. I couldn’t see past my own ego.” Jack replied. “And you needed the time away.”

“I did.” Lena said. “Now I am back.” she sounded determined. “And I need your help.”

“You basically brought me back from the dead.” Jack replied. “What do you have in mind?” 

“Justice.”

~

Her phone started ringing in a loud ring tone, and Kara opened it up without looking at the caller ID.

“Kara Danvers?” a woman’s voice asked on the other side.

“Yes, that’s me.” Kara replied.

“Eve Teschmacher.” Eve said, before Kara could say anything else. “Lena Luthor’s personal assistant.”

“Oh my god!” Kara said excitedly. “I have been trying to reach you for weeks!”

“Yes I know.” Eve replied, almost sounding bored. “Miss Luthor has agreed to do an interview with you.” she said and put the phone away from her ear for a moment to get away from the reporter’s excitement. “Be here at two pm, next Friday.” she said after Kara’s glee was over.

“Of course, thank you so much.” Kara said, before noticing that the call was already finished. “Yes!” she exclaimed, and smiled at a startled Nia. “Sorry!” She scrolled through her contacts and found Sam’s name, to thank her.

“Oh, hi Kara.” Sam said, opening the call after seeing Kara’s name.

“Hi Sam.” Kara said. “Lena Luthor’s office just called to schedule the interview. I am guessing I have you to thank for that.”

“Don’t mention it.” Sam said, shuffling the papers in her hand. “I trust you to do a good job.”

“Aww, thank you.” Kara said. “I owe you one.”

“You can pay me back by helping your sister with the backyard.” Sam replied.

“You mean, do the heavy work while Alex drinks on the side.” Kara said chuckling.

Sam chuckled at that too. “Yeah, that’s more like it.” she said, and looked at her watch. “Listen, I have a meeting right now.” she said. “Let me know how the interview goes.”

“Sure thing.” Kara said.

~

“Come on.” Lena said. “Give me another one.”

“Lola Hunter.” Jack said through the computer speakers.

“Lola is not a real name.” Lena said laughing. She was in her hotel room working on the desk. After making sure Jack successfully integrated with the A.I. program, she let him loose on the internet. He was now a part of every electronic with an outside connection. And their latest concern was, coming up with an alias.

“You wanted me to find you a cover identity.” Jack said, his voice still had the slightest hint of computer in it. “Best way to make up a name is to use an anagram.”

“I know that.” Lena said shaking her head. “Come on, try another one.” 

Normally Lena could have come up with an anagram herself, but that would take more time, and this way was more entertaining.

“Lauren Holt.” Jack offered this time. It didn’t take any time for him to come up with that information.

“Lauren.” Lena said mulling it over. “That’s boring enough, which is a good thing.” she said. “Yes, Lauren Holt. Can you create a fake identity with that?”

“Done.” Jack replied after a moment. “Lauren Holt, twenty nine year old French-Canadian woman. Living with her trust fond. Likes bungee jumping and exotic birds.” he said.

“Exotic birds, really?” Lena asked.

“I thought it would be fun.” Jack said, if he had a body, he would have shrugged.

“Fine.” Lena said shaking her head. “Now let’s find Miss Holt some real estate opportunities.”

She wanted to set up safe houses throughout the city, maybe even use as bases from time to time. And she didn’t want the attention caused by the ‘Luthor’ name, not to mention leaving a paper trail if something went wrong.

‘Lauren Holt’ would be one of the many fake identities they had created. She wanted to make sure none of it could be traced back, if one of the safe houses were to be discovered. Jack came up with countless options, from abandoned parking lots to high end apartment buildings.

Lena sighed, she would have to visit each of them and install her security protocols, next week. It would take time, but the end results would be worth it. 

As Jack arranged furnishers and hired movers for each place, Lena worked on the vest on the table. She was placing multiple parts together for her suit, using nano tech and enforcing it with carbon fibers, making them bullet proof.

It was all black, with one exception: a white skull covering the front.

~

A week went by with Lena perfecting every part of her plan. She made sure each of her safe houses had security cameras and silent alarms. She finished her goggles; adding night vision, a voice changing algorithm, anything that would keep her anonymous.

It was now Thursday, and she was ready. She was on her motorcycle, waiting in front of a rundown apartment complex. Her black leather jacket, hid the underlying suit of bulletproof material, and she had her full attire on. The goggles showed her figures of people through the walls.

“How many of them are there?” Lena asked. The entire system was connected to Jack, making him the perfect helper.

“Seven armed men.” Jack said. “Three in the back room. And my scans show another person, but they appear to be tied to a chair.”

“Okay.” Lena said, she was considering how to approach it. She had two sidearms, and a shotgun across her back. And those were the only ones seen from the outside. 

She stepped out of the motorcycle and started walking towards the building. She unholstered the shotgun and held on to it with one hand. It would be loud, but she was planning on being long gone before any authorities interfered. Plus, rundown apartment complexes in the city’s gutters, weren’t too high on NCPD’s priority list. 

“Which one is Kevin?” Lena asked. 

‘Kevin Adams’, the reason they were here, was one of the known members of an old National City gang. The gang that was involved in the ill-fated robbery of the National City Bank, the one where she had lost her wife. 

“In the back room.” Jack said, and showed Lena his picture through her goggles.

“Let’s do this.” Lena said and entered the building. The apartment they were looking for was on the ground floor, making it easier to reach without being seen by the neighbors. She looked around, and found the apartment number she was looking for. 

“On my count.” Jack said after Lena leaned on the wall right next to the door. “Turn right where I tell you to.” he said. Lena took a deep breath, her hair was tied, but still slightly waving with the night wind.

“One... Two... Three...” Jack said, and Lena kicked the door open in an instant. First two guys didn’t even register what had just happened, she easily shot them in the chest. “Turn right.” Jack said in her ear, and she turned taking the other two out, before they could aim.

The door of the back room opened, and three men poured out shooting without looking. Lena felt one of the bullets hit her arm, but it barely stung thanks to her suit. She took one of them out before he could run for shelter, then another one after he looked over a couch to aim.

“Kevin Adams!” Lena shouted, voice modulator doing its work, and aimed towards the couch. “Come out with your hands in the air.”

“Please, I surrender.” the last man said, hiding behind the couch. “Please.” he said and slowly stood up. He was looking at Lena with fear in his eyes. ”Please don’t kill me.”

“Maybe I won’t.” Lena said aiming the shotgun at him. “If you answer some questions.” she added slowly.

“Anything. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” he said quickly.

“National City bank robbery, two years ago.” Lena said. “Who did it?”

“The... The Hatchets.” he said stuttering.

“I know that!” Lena shouted and took a threatening step forward. “Who was behind the masks?” she said and placed the tip of the shotgun right at his chest, making him tremble.

“I don’t know...” he said. Lena lowered her gun for a moment, then punched him in the nose, with an audible crack. He fell on the floor and put his hands up in a defensive position.

“Don’t lie to me again.” Lena said and crouched down next to him. “I want names.”

Blood was pouring down his nose and mouth, but he managed to speak after spitting on the side. “Okay, okay.” he said. “I only heard two names. Eddie Maroon... and Simon... I don’t know his last name but last I heard he was working in Chinatown.”

“Good.” Lena said and stood up. He didn’t seem to know anything else.

“Please...” he said looking at her from the floor. ”I have a family.” he said. “Please.”

“So did I.” Lena said. She squeezed the trigger one last time.

She didn’t feel mercy for them, that feeling was long gone. She was planning on making every criminal in National City pay, and tonight was the start.

“Where is the girl?” she asked, indicating the person Jack said was tied.

“Go into the back room.” Jack said, and Lena walked towards the room. She was leaving footprints with every step, from the blood pouring away, but she had thought of that. Her shoes were specially designed to leave a different impression than hers.

The woman in question was tied to a chair in the corner, already terrified by the gun shots she had heard. She started to squirm away when she saw Lena, but the ropes didn’t let her.

Lena slowly walked to the chair. “I am here to help you.” she said but the woman was still trying to get away from her. Lena’s costume, and voice didn’t help the situation. She pulled a small knife from her belt and cut the woman’s ties. The woman quickly stepped away from her.

“Now, you have two choices.” Lena said. “You can either let me help you up, or you can keep staying in this room by yourself.” she said staring at the woman. “Which is it?” The woman slowly stepped closer in lieu of an answer. Multiple cuts and bruises were around her body, and Lena helped her to walk.

They reached the main room, with all the dead bodies, yet the woman didn’t scream. Instead she turned her face to Lena. “Who are you?” she asked, not as scared anymore.

Lena didn’t answer, and kept looking forward. She didn’t know the answer to that question.

They walked out of the building without saying anything else. Lena started walking away as the girl stayed behind, pulling her arms around herself to protect from the chilly night. 

“Vaya con Dios.” the girl said after her. 

Lena turned her head back. “Go with God.” Jack quietly translated in her ear.

“God’s gonna sit this one out.” Lena said and disappeared into the dark night.

Sirens started closing in, but she was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So Jack being an AI might feel weird, but I’m very influenced by Person of Interest and wanted Lena to have a friend. ‘Vaya con Dios’ comes from the Punisher movie, might feel a bit out of context but I wanted to use that line to keep a connection between this AU and the movie. Maybe I should add a Dark Lena tag, but I’m not sure about that one. She’s not evil, just an antihero as we’ll see in the future.
> 
> I wanted to add this update as soon as I could, to get into some action. I hope you liked it and I’ll see you next week.


	3. One Down, Three to Go

The smell of blood attacked Alex’s senses before she could step inside the apartment. She didn’t let her disgust show, but no matter how long she had been an agent, that smell affected her more than she cared to admit. 

She stepped through the door and slowly walked around the crime scene, careful to not effect any evidence. Local police and CSI were all over the apartment, going over every detail. Flashes from cameras brightened the room every once in a while. 

Alex started to go over the scene for herself.

Two bodies on the couch looked like they got hit before even realizing the attack. The other two on the floor had their guns sprayed around. To her, it looked like whoever did this knew exactly where each of these men were. _‘We’re dealing with a pro.’_

She glanced towards the other bodies. It was obvious these ones fought back. 

“I got a casing.” an investigator announced, while placing the bullet fragment on a special bag.

“Let me see.” Alex walked over to the woman and stared at the casing. She noticed how this one was different, more like the ones she saw after kevlar training. ”Get this one to my lab.”

She heard the commotion outside and looked through the window. Kara was there in her full Supergirl attire, talking to a nearby police officer. Alex got out of the apartment, and started walking towards Kara. 

“Supergirl.” Alex said while nodding as a greeting. “What are you doing here?” she asked, standing in front of her.

“I heard some officers say this might be alien related.” Kara said, hands on her sides, almost striking her classical pose.

“I don’t know.” Alex replied, and gestured Kara to walk with her. “It looks like regular old gang violence.” she said. Kara looked through the door and quickly looked away. She looked green.

“Yep... That’s...” Kara said, trying to hold on to her breakfast.

“Supergirl...” Alex said smiling. “Don’t tell me you are getting sick.”

“I am not.” Kara countered defiantly while they walked back towards a police car. “Anyways...” Kara said, taking a deep breath. “Who is the suspect?” she asked.

“There are size eleven footprints inside the warehouse.” Alex said. “No eye witnesses, so far.” she added.

Kara looked at the building in front of her. It was a residential building, meaning someone must have seen something. “That can’t be true.” she said looking back at Alex.

“Even if it’s not, these people won’t talk.” Alex replied, indicating the building with a hand. “They are not known for their trust in the law enforcement.” she added with a sad smile. That situation was like vicious cycle, with wrong beliefs on both parts.

A uniformed officer near the ‘do not cross’ line answered to their radio, and walked over to them. “Agent Danvers...” he said to get her attention. 

Alex turned towards him. “Yes?”

“A woman named Alice Evans just walked into the station.” the officer said. “She says she was here last night.” 

Alex thought about the back room, in the corner there was chair and cut down ropes next to it. Was she related to that? “Radio the station.” she said. “Tell them I will interrogate her myself.”

“Oh, can I come?” Kara asked excitedly.

“Why?” Alex asked. “Don’t you have an interview to get to?”

“It’s at two. I have time.” Kara said. “Please, I wanna know what happened here too.”

“Fine.” Alex said. “But you’ll stay behind the glass.”

~

Lena found herself smiling at her phone. It was a message from Sam, just a funny anecdote about her morning. It happened ever since Sam came to visit her. And she appreciated them, they were like little breaks from her overworked routine. She knew they had to work on their friendship, and she was glad that Sam took the first step.

Smiling at Ruby’s morning antics, she sent of a quick text and returned to her computer. She scrolled through various news sites, but there was no news on last night. Yet still, every site still had an headline about her. Some of them even had a picture of her wife, detailing the tragic backstory of a reclusive multi billionaire.

Those news used to bother her, they were a result to invasion of her privacy. But now, the only part that bothered her was the last lines: ‘Killers still unknown.’. She let it fuel her. 

NCPD couldn’t make any headway in the two year old case, but she had. 

Cameras in the bank had mysteriously gone dark during the attack. Which meant there was no visual on the robbery. There were no eye witnesses either, the attack happened five minutes after opening time. Only two tellers and five customers, including her wife were on the ground floor, all dead.

What finally gave her a lead was the camera feed from a clothing store right across from the bank. It was patchy, too grainy for the police to make any interpretation, but not for her.

Once Jack was operational, they managed to close up, to the back of the neck for one of the shooters. There was a tattoo, two hatchets crossing each other. One thing about gang members, they loved identifiable tattoos.

After that it was a game of find a Hatchet gang member and make them talk.

Now, she had to more names on the list.

~

Alex stared at the girl sitting in the interrogation room. By now, they knew she was a twenty years old college student, who went missing a week ago. She was obviously malnourished, and multiple bruises were visible around her body. The girl kept glancing around the empty room, still on edge even though she was in a police station. Alex didn't think that feeling would go away anytime soon.

Kara was in shock while standing next to Alex behind the window. It looked like this affected her more, she was Supergirl and it was her duty to protect that girl. But she had failed. 

Alex took a glance at Kara, and put a comforting hand on her arm. She wanted to tell her sister she couldn't be everywhere at once, but she knew that wouldn't work.

Alex walked towards the interrogation room, and closed the door behind her.

The girl looked up at Alex as she stepped inside.

“I am Special Agent Danvers.” Alex said showing her the FBI ID. She pulled the chair on the other side of the desk and settled down. “I’m here on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.”

“Okay.” the girl said shrugging. She had a blanket around her shoulders, making her look a lot younger than she was.

“I am sorry to hear what happened to you.” Alex said, she couldn’t even imagine the things that girl went through. “I am told you saw what happened at the apartment last night.” she said, trying to make eye contact with her. 

“She saved me.” the girl said, looking at her hands under the table.

“Who did?” Alex prompted, leaning closer towards the desk between them.

“I don’t know.“ the girl said. ”She had a mask. I didn’t see her face.” 

“Can you give a description?” Alex asked and placed her elbows on the desk. “Did she say anything? What she was wearing?”

“She... I thought she was wearing black. She was like a shadow...” the girl replied. “Darkness was all around her. Then... I saw the skull...” she looked up at Alex. “There was a white skull on her shirt.” Alex nodded for her to keep going. “I... I asked who she was...”

“What did she say?” Alex asked, curious about the answer.

“Nothing.” the girl answered. "She didn't say anything. Except..." she took a deep breath. " _'God's gonna sit this one out'_. She looked determined. Like she had more to do..." 

Alex waited for her to keep talking for a moment, but the girl stayed silent. “Don’t worry. We will catch this guy.” Alex said, trying to comfort her. “She won’t hurt you.”

“She didn’t hurt me.” the girl said, and looked up to meet Alex's eyes with a fire in them. “She saved me. Not any police, or Supergirl.” she said. “Her.”

Alex felt chills run down her spine at the girl’s words. She knew Kara heard it all. She looked at the glass, knowing that Kara was still right on the other side.

~

Kara glanced at her watch, she had an hour before she had to go to Lena Luthor’s office. “Kara!” she heard Cat Grant yell as she was walking towards Snapper’s office. She turned back to Miss Grant’s office and looked through the door.

“Miss Grant.” she said looking at Cat sitting on her desk. “Were you just calling me?” she asked.

“Yes Kara.” Cat said, looking annoyed at the question. “Who else would I be calling?”

“Just, that you never call me by my actual name...”

“You are a reporter now.” Cat shrugged. “Things change.” she added. “Now what is this new vigilante thing I’m hearing about?”

“I don’t know if we can call her that.” Kara tried to wave it off.

“I heard Supergirl was at the scene.” Cat said raising her eyebrows. “Did she give you any quotes?” she asked, in a way that always made Kara curious on if Cat actually knew.

“No.” Kara said, after thinking about. “Supergirl doesn't think we should give the spotlight to anyone with a mask; out to play judge, jury and executioner then punish criminals themselves.”

“Did she really say punish?” Cat said, mulling it over. “Odd choice of words... Looks like... we have a... Punisher on the streets.” she thought out loud while staring at Kara.

“Wait, did you just give her a name?” Kara asked with an amused look on her face.

“Yes.” Cat said determinedly. “Don’t forget I named you too.” she said and winked. She went back to her tablet as if that conversation didn’t happen, leaving Kara in shock.

~

“Miss Luthor.” Eve said through the intercom. “Your two o’clock is here.”

“Okay. Send her in.” Lena replied. 

She stood up to greet the reporter. Her office was meticulously cleaned and designed, she had a green sleeveless dress, anything to make the world believe she was the same person she was two years ago. And she felt ready.

The door opened, and a tall blonde woman walked in with a large smile. She was wearing a nice floral button up with jeans, and dark framed glasses, hair up in a ponytail. 

“Miss Luthor.” the woman said holding a hand out. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Lena took the woman’s hand for a short shake. “Kara Danvers, right?” she said and gestured to the chair in front of her desk. 

“Yes, that’s me.” Kara nodded and they settled on their chairs, with Lena’s desk between them.

“Sam speaks very highly of you.” Lena leaned her arms on the desk.

“She is too kind.” Kara replied.

“Just so you know, she is not the only reason that I agreed to talk to you.” Lena said as Kara looked at her curiously. “I know Cat Grant. She is a damn good person, even though she likes to deny it.” she said with a small smile.

Kara smiled at that too. “That she is.” she said. “Before we start, is it alright if I record this?”

“Go ahead.” Lena said and Kara put her phone on the desk, opening the recording app.

“Miss Luthor, you know I have to ask some questions that’ll be rough.” Kara said, looking at her notebook. 

“You mean my wife.” Lena said, to clarify.

“Yes.” Kara nodded. “I know how hard it’s to lose people you love.” she said, Lena was surprised at her honesty. “So we don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want too.”

“I appreciate that.” Lena said, looking at Kara with piercing green eyes. “But if I am to get rest of the media off my back, I have to talk about things that I don't normally want to talk about.”

“Okay.” Kara nodded, understanding where she was coming from. “How does it feel to be back after two years?” she asked to start the professional part of their conversation. 

“It’s painful, to be honest. After everything that had happened...” Lena answered. “But this city is my home. Everything good that ever happened to me, happened in this city.”

“Along with bad things.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t erase it all." Lena said, watching Kara as she talked. "Not unless we let it. And I don't intend to. I'll do everything in my power that people in National City don't too." 

“That answers my next question.” Kara said in a weak attempt to light the mood. Lena had a sad smile on her face. “What do you plan to do, now that you are back?” Kara asked.

“With the company?” Lena asked to clarify. Kara nodded. 

They talked about Lena’s plans for the future, and about some of the company’s newest design. ‘A force for good’ Lena said at one point. That was what she wanted the Luthor name to be associated with. Kara was fascinated by Lena’s optimism. That was a woman who had lost everything, and now she was building it back up again.

"Your biodegradable plastics project..." Kara said. "It sound familiar."

"Because it's not entirely mine." Lena replied. "That was Emily's project. She did most of the research, and I'll be finishing it."

Kara’s phone started ringing while Lena was talking about their latest scientific accomplishments. She looked at the name and turned it off. Snapper had to wait.

“I’m sorry.” Kara said with an apologetic smile. “My boss is very restless about a new case.” she explained.

“What’s it about?” Lena asked curiously. “If you don’t mind me asking.” she added.

“Not at all.” Kara said. “Someone shot up an apartment last night.” Lena was watching her expressions. “The police thinks it’s vigilante justice.”

“I bet Miss Grant already has a name for the guy.” Lena said, smiling. She was actually curious.

“She does.” Kara said smiling. “The Punisher.” 

“That's a little on the nose, don't you think?” Lena said, leaning back on her chair. She hadn’t thought about a name herself, but she could work with that one. “Do you anything else you want to talk about?” she asked after a moment.

“I’m all set.” Kara said and took her phone from the desk. She gathered her purse and stood up, followed by Lena. “Again, thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me.”

“It was my pleasure.” Lena said and they walked towards the door. ”Did you park around here?” she asked. “Because Eve can validate your parking.” she offered.

“Oh, that’s not necessary.” Kara said. “I flew here... on a bus.”

“Well, okay then.” Lena said, not understanding her last words. “I am sure we’ll see each other again.” she said and reached a hand out. Kara took it for a shake.

“I look forward to it.” Kara said with a smile and left the office. The door closed behind her and she suddenly realized her last words. “I look forward to it?” she murmured to herself. “Who says that?!”

~

“She was nice.” Jack said through the computer.

“Were you listening to that?” Lena asked, sitting back on her chair. She kicked off her heels, it had been a while since she last wore them, and her feet wanted their freedom back.

“You set me free on the internet.” Jack said, stating the obvious. “I listen to everything now.”

“Then find me who this ‘Simon” is.” Lena said and leaned back on her chair.

“The guy was right. Simon Corwell, age thirty six. Joined the Triad after the Hatchets broke up.” Jack replied while running a background check.

“What about the other guy? Eddie Maroon?” Lena asked. She was trying to form a strategy of approach. 

“He is working near the waterfront.” Jack answered. “I am still trying to gather enough information.” 

“Then let’s start with Simon.”

~

Finding Simon was easy. He was part of a smuggling operation in Chinatown, using a restaurant as a front. It was all to unoriginal, if you’d asked Lena.

She stopped her motorcycle on the side of the road, and stared at the Chinese restaurant two stores over.

It was almost midnight, and the street looked deserted. Apparently no one was foolish enough to go outside this time of the night. Still, the colorful signs gave life to the sidewalks.

“How many are in there?” Lena asked. She had her full attire on, with a long black leather jacket to go with this time. The front was unbuttoned, showing the white skull.

Her glasses showed ten people inside, but she needed to be sure.

“Ten.” Jack said. “There is another two guarding the back entrance.” he said.

“Any civilians?” Lena asked this time.

“None. They are all members of the Triad.” Jack replied. “I took out their cameras, how do you plan to proceed?” he asked.

Lena took out the silencer in her pocket and installed it to her sidearm. “First, let’s take out the ones in the back entrance.” she said and got off her motorcycle. “Are they all in the main restaurant?” she asked and started walking towards the back entrance.

“Yes.” Jack said. “Good.” Lena replied and jumped over a fence. She leaned over the side wall. The two guys didn’t seem to notice her. She stepped away from the wall and walked towards them with her gun aimed forward. She shot them one by one, bullets only making a buzzing sound. They dropped on the floor.

Lena opened the back door and looked inside. There was no one in the kitchen. She walked to the door opening into the restaurant. There was a small window on the door, and she glanced through it. Rest of the men had gathered around a large table, working with bags of powder. 

She opened the door and all the eyes turned to her. “Hi guys.” she said waving with one hand. She swung a grenade with her other hand, and ran back into the kitchen. Looking through the window, she saw the grenades released a gray colored gas, and the men fell down, coughing.

It was a usual combination used in military operations, and those guys were now in a deep sleep. She waited for a minute until the gas was ineffective then opened the door again and walked inside. 

She looked around the fallen bodies, to find which was Simon. She saw him draped over a chair.

Lena grabbed him in a fireman’s carry and walked backed to the kitchen. It was amazing what two years of nonstop training could do. Before, she knew how to defend herself, but now, she knew how to _fight back_.

Before she left the building, she threw another grenade in, after setting it on a timer. She left the stoves open for good measure.

After reaching the backyard, Lena dropped Simon on the far side from the restaurant. She reached into her pocket and retrieved the epinephrine injection. He woke up with a scream, after Lena injected it directly into his heart.

“Hey!” Lena said and slapped him. “If you want to keep breathing, you’ve to answer some questions.” she said crouching next to him.

“I am not talking to you bitch.” he said, trying to move away from her.

Lena sighed and shook her head. “I really don’t like that word.” she said. She reached and grabbed her sidearm, resting it aimed on Simon.

“National City Bank robbery.” Lena said, making sure Simon was aware of the gun. “Who was involved?”

“I said, I’m not talking to you, _bitch_.” he spit out. “I know you’re not going to shoot me.”

“That’s not an answer.” Lena replied, staring at him. She stood up. “And this is for making me wait.” She aimed the gun to his right knee and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot was quiet thanks to the silencer, but his scream echoed around the empty parking lot. Lena couched down again, and put a gloved hand on his mouth to silence him.

“Give me the names, and I’ll let you walk away without shooting anything else.”

“I ain’t no snitch.” he managed to say between agonized breaths, after Lena pulled her hand back.

“Now that’s a double negative.” Lena replied, mocking annoyance. “And the wrong answer.” she added, straightening again. The gun was now aiming the gun at his other knee.

“Okay...” he whined, trying to hold his knee. “I’ll give you the names...” he said and looked up at her. “Eddie Maroon.” he said quickly.

“I already know that.” Lena said. “Who else?”

“Kevin Shore... and Anthony Vinchev.” he said. “Those are all of them.” he said and tried to crawl away.

“Including you.” Lena said, before firing a bullet to his head. A thunderous explosion happened behind her. “Now, that’s timing.” she said to herself. “Any survivors?” she asked, watching the flames.

“No.” Jack answered. “But I do suggest we get out of here. The police are on their way.”

“Sure.” Lena said and started walking to her bike. 

_“One down, three to go.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this one. I made an edit of Punisher!Lena on my tumblr and [here it is](https://movieaddictdoctor.tumblr.com/post/186585636961/punisherlena). If you see it, tell me what you think! (Lena has shorter hair in the picture, so a haircut is in order)


	4. She Wouldn't Hurt Me

When Saturday morning came, all the news seemed to have one headline. The Punisher, aptly named by the one and only Cat Grant. There was even a security camera recording, but the only noticeable thing was the white skull covering the front.

Two gang fronts were hit in a week, with no survivors. The police chief was on the news, telling people it was a gang on gang crime and a gas leak, nothing more. CatCo news contradicted with him, claiming that someone new was on the streets, and they were taking justice in their own hands.

All of which worked for Lena, the further they were from suspecting her, would be better.

Lena scrolled around her laptop. She was in her bed, trying to make the most of her morning. After being satisfied that there was nothing to worry about, she closed her laptop.

She had a lot more to do.

-

_”This was just an unfortunate accident.” NCPD police Captain said. “Fire Department confirmed the gas leak last night. And the necessary precautions are being taken to prevent a recurrence.”_

_“What about the individual ‘Punisher’, as the public calls her?” the reporter asked, making a show of looking through his documents on the table. “She was caught on a security camera from across the street.”_

_“It’s just a person crossing the street.” Chief replied. “Miss Grant jumped the gun with this one. The so called ‘Punisher’ doesn’t exist.”_

_“What about the witness from the Guardian Highs shooting?”_

_“The witness was caught in the middle of a gang dispute. She was malnourished, probably injured. We can’t rely on her statement alone...”_

Alex watched the interview go on the display in front of her. Thanks to Cat Grant, Punisher was on everyone’s radar now. On the display next to the tv channel, a stream of social media, anything from Facebook to Tumblr, was shown. They were looking at everything with a mention of the Punisher, to no avail. 

Alex turned back to her tablet. She was in the DEO headquarters _on a weekend_ , much to Sam’s disappointment. But she was called in. In just a week, this new vigilante had managed to leave a trail of bodies with no evidence. Even though they had a security cam footage, it was a mess of blurs.

 _‘At least it looks human.’_ Alex thought to herself. She put the tablet on the main desk and leaned against it. Brainy was working next to her, trying to interpret the blurry image.

“God...” Alex groaned. “I should be back home with my wife.” she said, making Brainy turn his head to look at her. “Why do people have the need to get a gun and start shooting around?” she said, waving her hands around.

“Must be something in your code.” Brainy replied, not taking his eyes from his tablet.

“Hey.” Alex added a slight punch on Brainy’s arm for good measure. 

“Okay, okay.” Brainy said, taking a step away to defend himself.

“Please tell me you have something.” Alex said. She was looking at the tablet in his hands.

“Nothing. The video wasn’t a good quality to begin with.” Brainy replied. “I can’t clear it up.” he added. “And why are we even working on this?” he asked, turning to Alex. “It’s obviously not alien related. Isn’t it the procedure to let NCPD handle it?”

“I know.” Alex said. “But she is obviously using some kind of tech to help her.” she said, leaning on the desk with her face in her hand. “And we have to rule out if it’s alien in origin.”

“I’ll keep trying.” Brainy said and went back to his tablet. “But don’t get your hopes up, Director.”

 _‘Maybe this is a one time thing.’_ Alex thought to herself. _‘Who am I kidding?’_

-

Kara munched on her breakfast donut while working on her computer. The news sites were flooded with the Punisher, and she felt guilty. If she were there, she could have stopped her from killing all those people. Yes, they were criminals, but they deserved a fair trial.

So she focused on her assignment instead. CatCo’s next issue would be out next week, and she needed to finish Miss Luthor’s interview before then. Her recording of Lena was playing on the background, even though she had the transcript on her computer. 

She just liked listening to her voice.

-

The Punisher personality came easy to Lena. It was as if that darkness was already there, waiting to be unleashed. Like a switch, she could turn it on. Which was the only part of the whole secret identity deal that scared her: that switch was terrifyingly simple.

She expected to be scared, to feel sorry. But to her, world was being to kind on criminals, and she was here to set it straight. She would find who killed her wife, and make sure the same fate didn’t happen to others. 

If she had to find every little criminal in National City, she would do exactly that.

-

CatCo’s new issue came out, with Lena on the cover. She had to do a short photo-op after the interview, and it seemed to be worth it. She almost couldn’t recognize the woman looking back at her, as if that woman was a shadow from her past. With her red dress and accentuated make up, no one would be able to guess what her night job was. 

She opened the magazine, and looked around the pages, to find her interview. It was there, going on for four pages. She leaned back in her chair and started reading.

 _‘Too kind’_ Lena thought to herself as she turned the page. Her new projects with the company was described as ’visionary’, and she couldn’t help but feel humbled. For now, the company was just a means to an end for her, to be described like that made her almost feel bad for giving the interview with Kara.

However, she knew, even from the limited interaction she had with the woman, that Kara wasn’t the kind to compromise her integrity, just to be kind.

A teardrop falling onto the page startled her, when she reached the end of the article. She quickly wiped it away, not giving it a second thought.

-

Finding the rest of the National City bank robbers was a challenge. They didn’t have any recent online presence, and Jack couldn’t find them. Lena had to pursue the leads herself, which was fine by her. She could take out more criminals on the way. 

She was in her motorcycle, on her way a meth house downtown. Apparently one of Kevin Shore’s known associates had found a new business, and Lena would be pleased to pay them a visit.

She was crossing across the street, full speed, when her phone rang. Seeing the name reflected on her goggles, she answered.

“Hi Sam.” Lena said pulling next to the sidewalk and stopping the engines. She wanted Sam to think she was back in her hotel room, not hunting criminals in the middle of the night.

“Lena!” Sam said excitedly. “I just read Kara’s article. How are you?”

”You were right about her, Sam. It was a great article.” Lena answered with a small smile.

“It’s great to hear.” Sam said. “So, I know we didn’t talk about it the last time, but what’d you say to having dinner with us?”

“Ah...” Lena thought about it. It would be nice to see Ruby again. “Sure.” She said determinedly. “Do you have a date in mind?”

“This Friday?” Sam asked, it was only a couple of days away, and she didn't want to wait until next week, not unless Lena wanted too. “Kara would probably come, if that’s okay?”

“Sure.” Lena nodded to herself. She noticed the commotion from Sam’s side, as if someone was speeding up. “Are you outside?” she asked looking at the time reflected on her goggles. No reasonable person would be out this late.

“I had to stay late in the office today.” Sam replied, walking to her car. A dark figure stepped towards her in her peripheral vision. She started to walk faster, but the figure followed.

“Are you okay?” Lena asked. She was ready to start her bike in an instant.

“I think I’m being followed.” Sam whispered into the microphone.

“I’m calling the cops, don’t worry.” Lena said and fired the engine. Edge Holding’s wasn’t that far, and she could manipulate the lights to her advantage. Last thing she heard was a guy shouting “Give me your wallet!”, before Sam’s phone fell to the ground. 

“Jack!” Lena yelled. “Find me Sam’s exact location.” she said, taking a sharp turn on the right.

“On it.” Jack replied pulling up security cam feeds. One of the open parking lot cams showed a guy aiming a gun at Sam.

Lena was in the parking lot in a matter of moments, while breaking every speed law in existence. She saw the guy a couple rows over. Sam was pressed up against a car, holding her purse out. She looked calm, and Lena was sure she could handle herself if it weren’t for the gun involved.

She stopped the engine and stepped out. Her goggles were in place, so she slowly walked towards them.

“Drop the gun.” Lena said calmly, her sound rough with the voice modulator scrambling it.

The guy turned around, while Sam looked at her in shock.

“What the hell are you supposed to be?” he said aiming the gun at her.

“Doesn’t matter now, does it?.” Lena said, she was about to reach for her sidearm when Sam knocked the guy out with her purse, using a strong swing to the back of his head.

Lena watched the guy fall to the floor. Still, she pulled her gun and aimed at the guy, 

_‘One less scumbag.’_

“Wait!” Sam shouted, stepping forward. “Don’t kill him!”

“Why do you care?” Lena said turning her head to Sam, without moving anything else.

“Just... Let the police handle him.” Sam said, almost pleading. She didn’t want anyone killed because of her. “Please.”

For a moment Lena didn’t move her gun. 

Sam was staring at the Punisher. Even though she didn’t recognize the woman in front of her, she could see how her jaw was clenched, how she gulped, how her black jacket waved with the night wind, showing the white emblem inside.

Lena felt her grip loosen on the gun. This wasn’t how she wanted Sam to remember her, so she placed her gun back to its holster after making her decision. 

“Very well.” Lena said staring at Sam. “When he gets out, which he will, the next person he hurts will be on you.”

“You don’t know that.” Sam replied, staring back. Police sirens started howling in the distance, with the sounds coming closer. 

“Sadly, I do.” Lena said and turned back. 

Sam called after her when she started walking to her bike. “Wait! Who are you?” Sam yelled. “How did you know I was here?” 

Lena didn’t turn back. She left the scene right before a police car stopped next to Sam.

-

Supergirl arrived at the scene, with Alex holding on to her, who jumped at the first possible moment to run towards Sam. She stopped in front of the ambulance, where Sam was waiting with a blanket draped over her shoulders.

“Are you alright?” Alex all but yelled, touching Sam’s chin with a hand, gently inspecting her face for any injury..

“I’m fine Alex.” Sam replied with a calm smile. She was feeling oddly unruffled by the entire ordeal, like she knew she wouldn’t be hurt from the start.

“What if you weren’t?” Alex asked. An outsider would confuse her tone with anger, but Sam knew it came from a place of genuine concern.

Sam reached for Alex’s hand on her shoulder and held it tightly. “She saved me.”

“Who did?” Alex asked with a confused expression.

“The Punisher.” Kara added from behind Alex, standing there with crossed arms. It was the third time that week that she had felt useless, and her anger was showing. It wasn’t too forward, but Alex could recognize the signs, who turned her head to stare at Kara, then back at Sam. 

Sam nodded to confirm Kara’s words.

“Well, thank god for that.” Alex said and finally pulled Sam into a hug. “Don’t tell Brainy I said that.” she whispered.

Sam’s phone rang, prompting them apart. She looked at the screen and replied the unasked question from Alex.

“It’s Lena.” she explained before answering. “She called the police.”

The words caused raised eyebrows from both Danvers sisters.

-

From her perch on top of a bridge overlooking the Edge parking lot, Lena watched Sam and Alex leave in a black SUV. It had arrived at the scene after Alex, who had arrived with Supergirl. It didn't make sense to her why Supergirl would be here, that close to Alex and Sam, but she filed that knowledge away for later.

She made Jack follow the SUV, to make sure they arrived at home okay. Then she turned back to her previous route, to find out where Kevin Shore was.

-

Meth house was a bust. By the time Lena got there, Kevin was already gone. She didn’t think it was because he suspected something. Most likely reason was that he moved around to avoid being captured by the police.

He didn’t know someone else was after him. Someone far more dangerous.

Lena would use that to her advantage.

-

Lena pressed on the doorbell, letting it ring through the house. Sound of running footsteps were heard shouting "I'll get it!". She smiled at the words, she knew exactly who that voice belonged to.

Ruby opened the door and a large smile covered her face when she saw Lena. "Aunt Lena!" she exclaimed and jumped to hug Lena, with complete disregard of the flowers and wine in Lena’s hands.

"Oh god, you're basically as tall as me." Lena said hugging Ruby as best as she can with full hands.

“I missed you so much.” Ruby said, leaning her hand on Lena’s shoulder.

“Me too.” Lena replied, holding on. 

"Let me help you with those." Sam said behind Ruby, and they broke apart. "You didn't have to bring anything."

"I wanted to." Lena said while they moved on inside.

“You guys settle in, I’ll go find a vase for these.” Sam said and left Lena and Ruby in the living room.

”We just moved here.” Ruby said sitting right next to Lena. “Do you like it?” she asked excitedly.

“I love it.” Lena replied smiling. Looking around the room, she could already see that it was filled with _love_.

“Oh, do you wanna see my room?” Ruby asked, a moment away from jumping up.

“Absolutely.” With that, Lena was half dragged upstairs with a smile on her face. 

Ruby opened the door to her room, and Lena felt like she was transported to the land where color was invented. Walls were light pink, and there were posters of every color on the walls, from Supergirl’s emblem to different planets.

“Wow.” Lena said, touching a model planet dangling from the ceiling.

“That was from a science project.” Ruby explained, right next to Lena in an instant.

“I love it.” 

“Oh I have more.” Ruby said excitedly and started to show Lena every little thing. She was talking almost nonstop, and Lena loved listening to it. So much time had passed since had talked to her goddaughter, and she wanted to make up for it.

“What is that?” Lena said touching the light green stethoscope on Ruby’s desk, the only thing in contrast with the overall tone of the room.

“Oh...” Ruby was quiet for a second, causing Lena to look at her curiously. “Aunt Emily gave it to me, before you guys went to Bolivia.” 

“You can have it back if you want.” Ruby offered quietly.

“No, no.” Lena said quickly. “I’m sure she would want you to keep it.”

“Thank you.” Ruby said, in a voice so vulnerable that all Lena could do was to pull her in for a hug. “I miss her.” Ruby said.

“Me too.” 

They stayed like that for a time, until the sound from the door downstairs prompted them apart. “That must be Alex.” Ruby explained for Lena, and they walked downstairs with the unspoken agreement that what happened would stay between them.

“Ruby!” Sam called from the living room just as they walked inside. ”Ah, I was wondering where you guys were.”

“I was just showing Aunt Lena my room.” Ruby replied.

“Yes, we had a great time.” Lena added before her eyes caught the woman right next to Sam. “You must be Alex.”

“I am.” Alex said holding a hand out for a greeting.

“I heard a lot about you.” Lena said with a smile, as they shook hands.

“All good I hope.” Alex replied with a smile of her own.

“They were.” Lena said. “Will you sister be joining us?”

“Oh, she is already in the kitchen.” Alex said. “You should check on her, honey. We might already be out of garlic bread.” she said turning her head to Sam.

“I did not eat all of it!” Kara exclaimed walking into the living room. “Oh, hi Miss Luthor.” she said realizing Lena was already downstairs.

“Please, call me Lena.” Lena said turning her head to Kara.

“Only if you call me Kara.”

~

“This is delicious, Sam.” Lena said with an audible sigh. Her plate was almost finished, and even she was surprised to be thinking about getting a second one.

“Oh, I had help.” Sam indicated Ruby with a nod, after taking a sip of water.

“Sam tells me you’re an FBI agent.” Lena said after a while, looking at Alex. “What’s that like?”

“Mostly just paperwork.” Alex said, going for a bland answer that would be a good cover.

“So, not like the movies.” Lena joked.

“Yeah, not at all.” Alex said after a soft laugh. “By the way, thank you for calling the cops the other day.”

“Don’t mention it.” Lena replied.

“Really, if you weren’t that fast...” Kara added, causing Lena to look towards her.

“Don’t listen to them.” Sam said. “They just like to exaggerate things.”

“I guess it doesn’t really matter. I saw the news.” Lena said, curious to hear what they would say next. “Was Punisher really there?” 

“Yes, she was.” Sam nodded.

“How did it feel like?” Ruby asked, before Lena could ask the same thing. “Were you scared?” even though she heard the story before, she wanted to hear it again.

“Not really.” Sam answered. “I... I had a feeling that she wouldn’t hurt me.”

“That doesn’t mean she is not harmful.” Alex said while Kara nodded in sport.

“I mean...” Sam struggled to find the right words. “I felt like... like I knew her. She was familiar.”

Lena’s heart skipped a beat at that, and she thanked god for masks. If her best friend was that close to finding out, she would have to be a lot more careful around people she knew. “I’m glad you felt safe.”

“I wouldn’t say _‘safe’_.” Kara said. “You did say she almost shot the guy.”

“I guess I don’t see a problem with that.” Lena replied.

“How could you not?” Kara said, feeling her anger for the masked vigilante flaring up. It also had to do with the fact that the said vigilante was always one step ahead of her.

“I mean the guy is a criminal. And you can’t say that her methods is not working. The crime rate is lower with her in two weeks than it was with Supergirl in two years.” Lena said looking at Kara. She was surprised to see that Kara looked like she was forcibly holding herself back.

“She is killing people.” Kara said.

“Murderers.” Lena corrected her.

“Who still have a right to trial.”

“Which they will get away with their acts.”

Everyone else at the table was watching them produce arguments back and forth, amusement mixed with horror. Alex was especially worried that Kara would go all Supergirl on Lena. Finally, Sam broke the tension.

“I made chocolate souffles, everyone!”

-

Rest of the night went surprisingly smooth, even after Kara’s little outburst at dinner. Lena actually liked that Kara was so passionate about something, even if the idea contradicted her own. They settled around the living room, after Ruby went to her room, and left them for their ‘grown up time’.

“By the way, we’re throwing a gala at the National City Banquet Hall.“ Lena said, leaning to the couch with a glass in her hand. “Well, Lord is throwing it for my return. You guys are all welcome.”

“I’m guessing it’s all black tie?” Sam asked from the couch.

“It is.” Lena smiled. “I remember you looked good in one.” she said, causing Alex to turn to Kara with wide eyes.

“I guess I should dig it up.” Sam replied with a smile, seemingly unaware of the interaction between Alex and Kara.

“And Kara...” Lena said turning her head to Kara, who looked at her in amusement. “There won’t be any press at the gala.”

“Then I’ll just have to be myself.” Kara said with a smile. Their little staredown ended when Lena’s phone rang.

“Sorry, I have to take this.” Lena said, getting up with the phone in her hand.

She went to the kitchen and answered in a whisper. “Jack, what’s wrong?”

“Why does anything have to be wrong?”

“You said, and I quote, _‘If you contact me tonight instead of actually socializing I’ll go offline for a week.’_.” Lena said.

“I did say that.” Jack said. “Fine you’re right.”

“And...” Lena said to prompt him to continue.

“Kevin Shore’s credit card was just used in a gas station.”

“I’m coming.” Lena said and looked at the time on her watch. “Give me fifteen minutes.”

-

“Did you guys ever date?” Alex asked, absentmindedly drying a plate. Lena had left for her hotel, and Kara was out patrolling the city as Supergirl. They were left with the cleanup.

“What?” Sam asked in confusion. “With who?”

“You know, with Lena?”

“Where is that coming from?”

“Just curious.” Alex replied in forced nonchalance. It didn’t work as well as she’d hoped, her jealousy was too fresh.

“I bet.” Sam replied, chuckling to herself. 

“Well, did you?” Alex pressed the question.

Sam got up from her perch on the kitchen counter and walked over to Alex, hugging her from behind. “No.”

Alex dropped the plate and towel, and turned around. “Huh. Really?”

“You know I married you, right?” 

“I guess you’ll have to remind me.”

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“Not unless someone gives me a reason to call in sick.” Alex said with a smirk, and all Sam wanted to do then was to wipe it off her face. She leaned in for a kiss, leaving Alex breathless.

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


End file.
